


i don't see you so cupid take aim

by haipollai



Category: Captain America (Comics)
Genre: Blindness, Injury, M/M, Stomach kisses, handwavey science
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-03-29
Updated: 2013-03-29
Packaged: 2017-12-06 20:14:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,196
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/739667
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/haipollai/pseuds/haipollai
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"I miss you."</p>
<p>"I've barely left your side." Steve hopes Bucky can hear his smile. He reaches for his hand and rests his lips against his palm so he can at least feel it. </p>
<p>"Yea but…"</p>
<p>But it's not the same. Steve knows it too though he hates to admit it. It hasn't been the same since the last mission</p>
            </blockquote>





	i don't see you so cupid take aim

**Author's Note:**

  * For [lanyon](https://archiveofourown.org/users/lanyon/gifts).



> Title from Paloma Faith's Let Your Love Walk In  
> For lanyon because a- she requested stomach kisses for the kissing meme on my tumblr and b- she was having a crap day so idk, this wasn't what i wanted to write but hopefully it'll make you feel better <3

"Steve?"

"Right here."

Bucky twists around to look up at him, keeping his head in Steve's lap, grounding himself through touch. The bandages are still wound tight around his eyes and Steve traces the sharp white line over his forehead, wishing he could take them off. Except he knows even if the doctors allowed that, Bucky himself might not. They don't know what the skin looks like underneath, they don't know the damage really. "I miss you."

"I've barely left your side." Steve hopes Bucky can hear his smile. He reaches for his hand and rests his lips against his palm so he can at least feel it. 

"Yea but…"

But it's not the same. Steve knows it too though he hates to admit it. It hasn't been the same since the last mission, since he had to carry Bucky into SHIELD because AIM had tried to blind him. Medical only allowed him to come home with Steve yesterday. And after finding his way to the bed, he's barely moved. The pain killers kept him laconic, and even switching to whatever lower dose they gave him to take home, hasn't made much difference.

He's depressed and Steve doesn't know how to fix that, there's nothing to fight.

"Why couldn't I have gotten Daredevil's cool radar power?" He tries to sound light and glib, but Steve sees through it. Hears the pain echoing in his voice.

"Because you're getting better." The doctors say so and Steve has to believe them. He has to believe Bucky's going to get better. He's going to look at Steve and smile. He looks small and lost when alone in bed.

"If I am it's a slow process."

Steve bites his lip, knowing the argument will go in circles if he lets it. Bucky is caught in his own head and breaking him out of it wasn't easy before. It's only become harder now. So Steve focuses on his sketchbook, draws the lines of Bucky's face undistorted by his bandages and pain.

"What are you drawing?" Bucky asks quietly, tilting his head back as if he could see if he only strained enough.

"You."

"Me?"

He looks so confused that Steve leans down to kiss him, setting the sketchbook aside. "Yes, you."

Bucky moves his hands slowly, feeling for Steve's face so Steve helps him, presses Bucky's palm to his cheek. "I've been a shit partner haven't I?"

"I think when you get sprayed in the face by some strange AIM experiment, you're allowed."

Bucky's hand moves slowly, tracing the line of his jaw down to his neck, curling in the neckline of his shirt. "Let me make it up to you." He moves slowly, getting up onto his knees and facing Steve. His hand stays on Steve's neck, his thumb moving slowly up and down. Steve lets out a soft sigh and tilts his head back, hoping it's encouragement enough.

Except Bucky's hand slides down, fingers spread out over his chest, following the lines of muscle under his shirt. Down to his stomach. "Take it off." His fingers curl in Steve's shirt.

"Will you take off yours?"

Bucky nods and lets go of Steve long enough to get it off. Steve reaches for his hand again and rests it on his chest. "Over your heart Steve? Isn't that cheesy?"

"You can't see me, I have to show you somehow."

"That is cheesy." He pushes against Steve until he lies back. Bucky follows carefully, feeling for the edges of Steve's body, finding the dip between his collarbone with his fingers and his lips follow, creating a slow path down, skimming over a nipple, drawing designs with his tongue. Steve gasps for breath but doesn't stop him. He curls his hand in the headboard, letting Bucky explore freely. Relearning him entirely by touch.

He reaches Steve's navel and rests his forehead against his sternum. "Bucky," Steve finally lets out, sensing something has changed.

"I want to see you." He presses a harsh kiss to Steve's stomach, scraping his teeth over his skin. Steve makes a rough sound in the back of his throat, startled by the sudden desperation. "What if I forget what you look like?"

"It doesn't matter what I look like." Steve threads his fingers through Bucky's hair. The bandage scrapes against his palm, an ever present reminder. "You won't forget me, that's what counts."

Bucky tries to laugh, but it dies quickly. "You sound like an arrogant jerk."

"I'm not going to stop loving you because you don't know how long my nose is."

For a moment, Bucky doesn't move and Steve tries not to think too hard about the hot breaths teasing his skin. Then Bucky presses a slow, wet kiss to the spot he'd roughened before. "Can we stay in bed, one day longer?"

"Of course."

"Tomorrow…I'll deal with this shit. But today…" Today he can't. Today he needs to relearn balance and touch, he needs to learn to do them better to make up for his lack of eyesight. "They say it'll heal."

"They do," Steve agrees. "They've cleaned out the acid from your eyes and skin. You'll heal Buck. If you don't, I'll throw something and make SHIELD get you new eyes."

Another kiss, this time sucking softly on the skin right beside Steve's navel. His lips stay there afterwards so Steve can feel the smirk. Steve swallows back his groan, it wouldn't be right, Bucky shouldn't feel obligated to do a damn thing no matter what Steve wants. "My hero." He moves back up Steve's body, leading the way with his hands, finding Steve's jaw and lips and nose. "I'm sorry. I ca-"

"It's okay."

"No, but I should."

Steve kisses him softly, careful not to press too close or too hard without warning. "Yea, Bucky, it's okay. You've done nothing wrong." He kisses Bucky's cheek. "Besides still rushing in head first."

"Keeps you from doing the same." Bucky's hands curl around his face, he seems to like that, Steve wonders if he can feel all of his expressions.

"Feel up to changing the bandage? Cleaning it up?"

Bucky takes a deep breath. Steve knows he wants to pull the blankets up over his head and not truly deal with his injury but he nods. The same way he tries to ignore the nightmares and the pain in his arm and everything else that is so obviously wrong. "Alright, okay. Lead the way Captain."

Steve slips an arm around Bucky's waist and guides him off the bed and to the bathroom. Underneath the crisp whiteness of the bandage, the skin is splotchy and red, like an angry rash. He keeps his eyes closed while Steve spreads the ointment the doctors gave him over it. When Steve's hands come to rest on his thighs, they slowly open.

And he flinches. "Light hurts," he whispers, as if to speak any louder would make it less true. "Steve…"

"Told you," Steve murmurs. "Fuck, why don't you listen to me?"

"Shut up and kiss me." He doesn't open his eyes again but he doesn't stop smiling. Steve can't blame him, so he leans in to kiss that smile.


End file.
